Bottle capping machine



July 6, 1 937.- E. N. TRUMP' 2,035,379

BOTTLE CAPPING MACHINE Filed April 15. 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 July 6, 1937. E. N. TRUMP BOTTLE GAPPING MACHINE Filed April 15, 1935 g Sheets-Sheet 2 ll l u T911 I mm ATTORNEY Patented July 6 1937' PATENT. OFFICE aoass'w Bomr: mm; mom Edward N. Trump, Syracuse, N. Y. Application April 15,1935, Serial No. 1 ,294

Y 18 Claims.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in a bottle capping machine and per;- tains more particularly to an apparatus for applying'hooded or over-all caps to the head of milk bottles or the like. The caps are pre-formed in one piece, preferably from a sheet of light,

strong and non-corrosivemetal having a high degree of ductility, malleability and tenacity, such for example, as tissue aluminum of about the thickness of the cellulose product commonly known as Cellophane or of thin tinfoil, andwhich is capable of. being easily molded by pressure under atmospheric temperature to conform to the its form under ordinary usage.

In other words, the caps are of the type set forth in the pending application of Charles A. MacCordy, Serial No. 682,474, filed July 27th, 1933, and are formed with a central cup-shaped portion of slightly less exterior diameter than the interior diameter of the mouth of the bottle so as to loosely enter the mouth of the bottle and adepending skirt portion of slightly greater interior diameter than the exterior diameter of the head of the bottle to enable the cap to be easily placed by hand or otherwise over and upon the head of the bottle preparatory to the securement of the cap to the bottle.

In order that the caps may be successfully produced and marketed, it is, of course, necessary that the metal from which they are constructed be maintained as thin as possible, consistent with required rigidity to enablethe cap to inherently remain in close conformity with the surface of the head of the bottle under normal usage to provide and maintain a fluid-tight connection with the bottle. It has been determined by extensive labor and experimentation that the thickness of the material from which these caps are made need not be over two or threethousandths of an inch and to enable the caps to be successfully applied to the bottles without tearing, cracking or mutilating the same, the metal comprising the capmust not bestretched to any appreciable form or contour of the bottle and of retaining without danger of buckling or cracking but will be re-enforced' substantially uniformly throughout the area thereof whereby the cap will remain in conformity with the contour of the bottle under-normal usage. I 5

The main object of the present invention is-to provide an improved capping machine for expeditiously applying metallic caps of the above men- 7 tioned class to milk bottles or the like in a fluidtight manner. v

' A more specific object of the invention is to provide a capping head which automatically. accomplishes the sealing of a skirted cup-shaped cap or closure to the bottle by simultaneously bringing the corrugated peripheral wall of the 15 cup-shaped portion of the cap into close contact with the bore of the mouth of the bottle and 1 to progressively roll the skirt portion of the-cap against the outer peripheral surface of the head or pouring lip contiguous to the bottle mouth and the neck of the bottle by an axially moving pressure. l 1

in carrying out they above mentioned objects, I have provided two flexible annuli arranged substantially concentric "one within the other and adapted to have relativeaxial movement. The 2 inner annulus is comprised of a resilient ring and a plurality of independently .mounted sectors adapted to extend into the central cup-shaped portion of the cap, said sectors being simultaneously moved radially outwardly for bringing the ring into engagement with the peripheral wall of said cup-shaped portion of the cap to press the same against the bore of the bottle mouth. The outer annulus comprises a contractible and expansible ring which-is circular in cross section. The outer annulus may be composed, for instance,

of elastic rubber, a coil spring or the like and which is preferably of less normal inside diameter thanthe exterior diameter of the head or neck of 40 the bottle, and is supported by rolling members during the relative axial movement thereof and the inner annulus whereby the outer annulus may freely rotate about its own peripheral or circumferential axis in rolling engagement with the skirt of the cap to tightly press the same against'the bead and neck of the bottle.

A further object of the invention resides in providing a normally expanded coil spring ringwith means for-yieldingly urging the coil spring ring toward thecontracted or normal position thereof, whereby the effective action of said ring upon the cap will-beincreased.

v A still further object is to providemeans whereby the inner annulus will be expanded radi- 55 'ally at a "progressively decreasing rate of speed and increasing power to tightly press the peripheral wall of the cup-shaped portion of the cap against the adjacent wall of the bottle mouth.

Other objects and advantages pertaining to the structure of the device and to the form and relation of the parts thereof will more fully appear from the following description taken in connec tion with the accompanying drawings inwhich:

- with the capping head in the lowermost position in operative relation with the bottle for supplying the cap thereto.

Figure 3 is a sideelevation of the lower portion of the cap applying head illustrated in Figures 1 and 2, with a portion of the housing broken away to better illustrate the underlying mechanism. Figures 4, 5 and 6 are horizontal sectional views taken respectively in substantially the plane of the lines 4-4, 5-5 and 6-6, Figure. 1.

- Figure 7 is an elevation partlyin section, of adjacent end portions of a coil spring ring particularly adapted to be used in connection with my novel capping head, said ends of the spring ring being illustrated in spaced relation with a tieinsert for joining the ends together mounted in one of the end portions. e

In order that the operation of the capping de-' vice may be clearly understood, I have shown the head portion of a bottle- A having a circular recess B defining the mouth of the bottle, an annular outwardly extending head or pouring lip C contiguous to the mouth or recess B and a contracted or reduced neck portion D below the bead C.- 'I'h'e recess 13 is provided with the usual inwardly extending shoulder b spaced some distance inwardly from the upper or outer surface of the bead C'adapted to form a seat for the central cup-shaped portion of the cap.

The cap is similar to that shown and described in the pending application previously referred to in that it is made of extremely thin sheet alu- .minum or equivalent non-corrodible material and that the peripheral walls of the cup-shaped portion Fand skirt G are corrugated or rumpled to enable these parts to be compressed andexpanded respectively without liability of stretch ing the material from which the cap is formed.

The cap, according to the application referred to, is made in such manner that the exterior diameter ofthe peripheral walls of the cupshaped portion F is slightly less than the diameter of the mouth recess B of the bottle, while the normal inner diameter of the skirt portion G is slightly greater than the external diameter of the bead C of the bottle, thus permitting the cap to be. easily placed by hand or otherwise over and upon the head of the bottle with the connecting web H of the cap resting upon the upper end of the head as shown in Figure 1.

The vertical depth of the cup-shaped portion F of the cap is practically equal to that of the recess B, whereby the marginal edge of the bottom of the cupshaped portion may rest upon the shoulder b when the web portion H engages the bead-C.

'I'heKcapping device forming the subject matter of this invention may be mounted in any suitable manner to permit the same to be reciprocated vertically toward and from the head of the bottle A co-axially therewith and as shown in the drawings, comprises a sectional housing III composed of a lower tubular portion ii, an upper or cap portion l2 and an intermediate tubular portion l3. r

The lower portion ll of the housing is rotatably mounted upon the intermediate portion It as shown in Figures 1 and 2 and is releasably secured thereto by means of a pair of diametrically opposed pins i5 mounted in the intermediate section l3 and which have the outer ends thereof adapted to engage in a right angle slot l6 provided in the adjacent portion of the lower section II as shown in Figures 1, 3 and 4. The cap or upper portion I2 of the housing is mounted as shown in Figures 1 and 2, to extend across the upper end of the intermediate portion l3 and may be releasably connected thereto, in any suitable manner as by screws II.

The lower end of the housing portion II is provided with in 'inwardlyextending flange I! provided with a central opening 20 coaxial with the bottleand said cap to readily pass there through while the inclined walls of said opening 1 serve to center the head of the bottle with the interior of the housing III as the bottle and cap move axially therethrough.

It will be noted that the upwardly and inwardly inclined wall of the opening 20 formsa channel or annularrecess 2| at thelower end of the housing portion II which is adapted to collect moisture, lubricant or dust which may accumulate within the housing lli and'prevent the same from passing downwardlydirectly upon the bottles A positioned beneath said-housing. In order that such accumulation of foreign material may readily pass from the recess 2|, the wall of the recess as the flange is, may as shown in Figures 1 and 2, be provided with one or more apertures 22 which preferably extend downwardly and outwardly at an angle to the axis of the housing so as to deposit the foreign material as far from the bottle as possible.

The upper housing portion or cap I2 is provided with a centrally disposed hollow circular hub 23 to which is secured a post 24 adapted to be connected in any suitable manner to an actuating'device not shown for supporting and actuating the housing I 0., The post 24, in this in stance, is releasably connected with the hub 23 by means of a U-shaped bolt 24 which has the legs thereof extended through corresponding holes provided in the lower portion of the post 24 in registration with an annular groove 23' provided in the hub 23 asshown in Figures 1 and '2.

The intermediate housing portion I3 is provided with a central cylindrical chamber 25 which extends axially therethrough; This chamber 25 is substantially equal in diameter to the upper end of the opening 20. or in other words, to the outer diameter of the skirt G of the bottle cap and has slidably mounted therein a cylindrical sleeve or tubular member 21 of uniform externaldiameter throughout its length. The interior diaosasro tubular member 21 is preferably greater than the diameter of the recess 13 of the-bottle A, while the lower end of said sleeve is provided with a recess 23 of convex cross section, corresponding approximately to the transverse curvature of the upper face of the bottle bead C so that when the sleeve 21 is brought to its capping position, the

upper wall of the recess 23 will engage the mar-i ginal portion of the web H of the cap and thereby hold the cap firmly against the upper end of the head of the bottle as shown more clearly in Figure 2.

Ashereinbefo're stated, the sleeve 21 is reciprocally mounted in the intermediate section l3 and is maintained against downward axial movement in its lowermost position by a plurality of, in this instance, four screws 30 arranged in equal circumferential spaced relation about the sleeve 21 intermediate the ends thereof as shown in Figures 1 and 4. These screws have the inner ends thereof projecting into the interior of the sleeve member 21 in engagement with the upper surface of a circular plate or disk 3| mounted on the stem 32 of a plunger 33 which extends axially in a vertical plane through the interior of the sleeve 21 and intermediate housing section l3 with the upper end of said stem passing through a centrally'disposed opening 34 provided in the cap i 2. The stem 32- and plunger 33 are maintained against downward movement when in their lowermost position by a washer35 mounted in the bore 36 of the hub" and which-is secured to the stem 32 by a' screw31. The axial length of the stem 32 is such as to maintain the lower end 5 of the plunger when in its normal lowermost position in upward-spaced relation to the lower end of the pressure sleeve 21 as shown in Figure 1.

The plate 3| is mounted on the stem 32 adjacent to a shoulder 33 forgned at the junction of said stem and the plunger 33. The outer peripheral edge of the plate is mounted between the screws 30 and a shoulder 39 formed in the wall of the inner chamber of the sleeve 21 beneath the screws. The inner ends of said screws and the adjacent surface of the plate are tapered as illustrated so thatthe plate may be securely clamped to the sleeve 21 by screw threading the screws 30 inwardly. I The plate 3| which secures the sleeve 21 to the plunger 33 is slidably mounted from the shoulder 38 and is yieldingly maintained in contact with the shoulder-by means of a relatively light spring 40 mounted on thestem 32 between the plate 3| and a supporting collar Ii 55 which is slidably mounted upon the upper end of the stem 32 for engagement with a shoulder 42 provided on said stem intermediate the plunger 33 and the upper ends of the stem. The collar 4| is yieldingly maintained in engagement with the shoulder 42 by a relatively stifi spring 44 which surrounds the stem 32 with the lower end thereof mounted upon the supporting collar 4| while the upp rend of said spring is positioned in an annular recess 45 provided in the bottom surface of the cap l2.

It will thus be seen that the plunger 33 is constantly urged toward its lowermost position by the action of the spring 44 while the sleeve 21 is constantlyurgedtoward its lowermost position by the spring 40 and at the same time the sleeve 21 and plunger 33 are free to move upwardly against the action of the springs 40 and 64. In-

order that this upward movement may be yieldingly limited at a predetermined position of theplunger, I have provided a third relatively powupon the stem 32 for axial movement toward and,

a 3 erful spring I mounted on the upper end portion of the plunger stem in contact with the supporting collar 3|. The axial lengthof the spring 43 is substantially less than the normal distance between the collar 4| and the adjacent surface 5 of the cap l2 so as to permit a predetermined upward axial movement of the plunger before said spring engages the cap for limiting the upward movement of said plunger.

The lower end portion of the intermediate section i3 and the lower housing, section II are of considerably greater diameter than the remaining portion of said intermediate section as illus trated in Figures 1 and 2- so as to provide the lower housing section II with an inner chamber 15 I ll of considerably greater diameter than the inner chamber 26 of the intermediate section l3 and, therefore, of the exterior diameter of the tubular sleeve 21. The lower faceof the intermediate section is provided with a plurality of, in this instance, eight pendant lugs iii which are arranged-in substantially equal circumferential spaced relation and extend a relatively short distance into the chamber 43 of the housing section II. To each of these lugs ill is pivotally connected by a pin 5| the upper end of a downwardly extending arm 52 which is slotted at its upper end for the reception of said lug as shown in Figures 1, 2 and 4 7 It .will thus be seen that there are eight of these arms 32 arranged in substantially equal circumferentially spaced relation about the interior of the lower housing section II and that theyare arranged in a vertical plane intermediate the sleeve 21 and the wall of the lower housing section I. The lower ends of these arms terminate a short distance above the flange 13 of the section II and each arm is provided with a pair of slots or recesses 54 and arranged in' longitudinally spaced relation a short distance above thelower end thereof. In each of these slots or recesses is mounted a roller 56 which is rotatably mounted on a pin 51 which has the ends thereof secured in the wall of the arm. Each of the arms 52 is also provided with .a recess 53' in the inner face thereof in a plane intermediate the recesses 54 and 55. and in communication with said recesses whereby. the peripheral surface of the rollers 56 will extend into the 'recess 58 for supporting engagement with the periphan lowermost position as illustrated in Figure 1. 55

This coil spring ring is preferably constructed with a normal interior diameter which is less than the diameter of the beadC and neck D of the bottle A, "and;therefore, considerably less in a diameter than the outer diameter of the sleeve 60 21 so that when a relative axial movement of the sleeve 21 and the ring 60 is produced as by the contact of a bottle with the sleeve 21 whereby the sleeve is moved upwardly'relatively to the spring ring out of engagement therewith, said spring ring may contact with a cap carried by the head of the bottle and thereby contract the skirt of the cap about said head under its own tension.

The function of the rollers 53 is to, maintain the ring 63 against axial movement relative to the lower housing portion II, and in order that said rollers may be maintained in operative relation with the coil spring ring so as to move radially therewith during the contraction'and expansion thereof, 1 have provided a coil spring 620i rela- 7 Y positioning the apex of the. wire at the interior of the coil. This arrangement of the wire 65 provides the ring with a substantially fiat smooth exterior surface to be engaged by the rollers 58 and also for contacting with the skirt G of the bottle cap. The wire is wound to form a coil spring of predetermined length so that when the ends thereof are secured together the inner diameter of the ring thus formed will be substantially equal to or slightly less than the neck D of the bottle A. The means for securing the ends of the coil spring together consist, in this instance, in forming a coupling 66- by winding wire similar in cross section to thewire 65 but arranged in the reverse manner of that when forming the ring 60, that'is, with the fiat or base portion thereof on the interior and the triangular portion or apex of the wire on the exterior of the insert or coupling. g It will thus be seen that the V-shaped portion of the wire forms exterior threads on the insert or coupling which are adapted-to be screw threaded into the threads formed on the exterior of the ring 63 by the v-sliaped portion of the wire When assembling the insert or coupling 66 in the ends of the coil spring ringthe insert is first screw threaded into one of the end sections as illustrated. in Figure 'I after which the other-end portion of the coil spring ring is screw threaded I on the insert or coupling by first unwinding the coil spring ring a number of turns equal to the number of threads on the exposed portion of the insert or coupling'and then allowing the ring to wind to its normal position with the end pressed into engagement with the adjacent 'portion of the insert and thereby cause the said end f of. the ring to screw thread itself onto themsert.

It will thus be seen that the coil spring ring is provided with a. smooth continuous outer surface throughout the circumferential length thereof and that the ring is free to expand and contract with substantially equal tension throughout its length with possibly the exception of the relatively short portion engaged by the insert or coupling 66 which also permits the required expansion and contraction of the ring to a certain degree. 4

Furthermore, it will be understood that when the rollers 56 are yieldingly maintained in en gagement with theouter peripheral surface of the ring by'the actionof the, contracting spring tiupon the pivoted arms 52, the coil spring-ring; will be maintained thereby against axial movement relative to the housing I0 during the axialmovement of the pressure sleeve 21 relative to said housing as the cap is being applied to the bottle and that the ring-will be free to rotate about itsown peripheral axis during the rela- .tive axial movement of said ring and the bottle and cap owing to the rollers 56 supporting the ance thereby permitting the coil spring-ring to move ringwith a minimum degreeof frictional resistto said rotation of the coilspring. ring axially in both a downwa y and upwardly Ldirected movement in rolling ngagement with e the skirt of the cap for contraci g the skirt about the bead and neck of the bottl radially movable sectors or fingers II interposedbetween the plunger 33 and the ring- III. The ring I0 is preferably composed of soft rubber or equivalent material and is mounted in recesses I2 provided in the outer face of the lower end portion of the fingers II in substantially the horizontal plane of the lower end surface 28 of the pressure sleeve 21. The sectors or fingers II,

; in thisinstance, are disposed in a vertical plane to extend upwardly fromthe ring I0 and each has the upper end' thereof provided with a substantially semi-circular lug I3 arranged in the outer face thereof and'which is rotatably engaged in a circular concave recess I4 formed in the interior wall of the sleeve 21 a relatively short dis-,

tance below the shoulder 39 for the retaining plate 3|. The fingers extend downwardly from the pivotal lugs I3 between the'plunger 33 and the adjacent portion of the sleeve 21 and each has its inner vertical edges provided with a substantially straight portion I6 which extends downwardly from the upper end thereof to a position substantially in the plane of the lower end of the plunger 33 when the plunger and sleeve 21 are in their normal inoperative position as illus- 'trated in Figure 1 for engagement with the adjacent portion of said plunger to limit the inward swinging movement of these members.

.The fingers or sectors normally extend as shown in Figure 1, below the lower end of the plunger 33 and each has its inner vertical edge provided with an inwardly curved cam surface 11 which extends from the straight portion "downwardly to the lower end of the arm or sector in the path of movement of the plunger 33 so that when the fingers or sectors are moved upwardly relatively to the plunger 33, said plunger will force the lower ends of the fingers outwardly and thereby expand the ring III for pressing the peripheral wall of the cup-shaped portion F of the cap against the adjacent portion of the bottle.

' The ring 10 is-constructed with a normal exterior diameter which isless than the interior diameter of the cup-shaped portion F of the cap so that the arms or' sectors II are urged by the ring I0 to their normal innermost position. However, the sectors or fingers may, as shown, he

provided with additional means as the contracttors or fingers II intermediate the recess I2 and. the lugs 13.

It will be noted that the degree of inward projection or extension of the upper portion of each cam surface 11 is greater at the upper end portion thereof than at the lower end 'so that as the fingers are moved upwardly relatively to the plunger 33,-the ring Ill will be expanded at a relatively rapid rate during the initial relative movement. of the plunger and fingers for quickly bringing the ring into contact with the peripheral wall of the cup-shaped portion of the cap after which the ring is expanded radially at-a slower rate of speed whereby the pressure power of the plunger is increased upon :the fingers and ring as these membersapproacl'i' the limit of the can skirt to successively roll and press the skirt of the applying movement and therebybring the ripheral' wall of the cup-shaped portion of p the cap into tight contact with the wall of the re-' cess B of the bottle with a minimum amount of pressure exerted upon the plunger.

its normal uppermost inoperative position and that a bottle A having a pre-formed cap mounted thereon is positioned beneath the head in axial alignment therewith, then as relative axial move ment of the bottle and head is produced as by moving the head downwardly, or the bottle upwardly, the bottle as it enters the opening 20, will be first aligned with the pressure sleevefl and then brought into engagement with the lower end of the sleeve, that is, the curved surface 28 of the sleeve will engage the outer marginal portion of the web H of the cap as illustrated in Figure 2, thereby limiting the further downward movement of the sleeve and causing the cap to be held on the mouth of the bottle under yielding pressure by the action of the springs 40 and 44 while the plunger 33 and housing [0 are free-to continue their downward movement. As the housing continues the downward movement, the coil spring ring or annulus 60 will be moved axially beyond the lower end of the sleeve 21 into engagement with the upper portion of-the skirt G of the cap andthus caused to roll downwardly along the cap tightly around the bead C and neck D of the bottle under the tension of said ring and also tension of the contracting spring 62 until the coil spring ring 60 is brought to a position below or beyond the lower edge of the skirt as shown in Fig ure 2 when the bottle is in its. innermost position relative to the housing after which the bottle may be removed from the housing, by reversing the movement of the head or the bottl During the relative movement of the housing and bottle away from each other, the coil spring ring or annulus 60 will again be. rolledprogressively over the skirt G of the cap in the reverse or an upward direction and thereby increase the efiective sealing contact or engagement of the skirt of the cap with the neck and head of the bottle. As the housing I0 and bottle are moved axially awayfrom each other the pressure sleeve 21 will remain in contact with the cap on the bottle until the spring 60 has been returned intoengagement with the'sleeve out of contact with the bottle cap, whereupon the ring is maintained in engagement with the sleeve by the action of'the arms 52 and rollers 56 in its expanded condition. During the relative movement of the bottle and housing-l0 toward each other, the ring 10 will'be brought into the cup-shaped portion F of the cap as the cap and bottle approach the lower end of the sleeve 21 and as this relative movement of the housing and bottle toward each other is continued, the plunger 33 will be moved by the action of the spring 44 axially relatively to the fingers ll toward the lower ends thereof into engagement with the cam surface 11 and thereby rapidly effect the outward rocking .movement of said fingers or sectors and the expansion of the rubber ring 10 during the initial engagement of the plunger with the cam surfaces to effect a corresponding radial expansion of the peripheral wall of the cupshaped portion of the cap. About the time the wall of the cap engages the peripheral wall of the bottle recess Bthe plunger 33 engages the lower relatively straight portion of the cam surface and other.

, has reached the tact with the sleeve 21,

' to themouth of a, bottle,

- the wall of the cap is expanded still further to press the same tightly against the adjacent wall of the mouthof the bottle as illustrated in Figure 2, with arelatively slow rate of speed but under increased power as the bottle and housing reach the limit of their relative movement toward each If, however, the tension of the spring 43 is insuiiicient for any reason to effect the full expan-' sion of the ring 10, the more powerful spring 46 will be' engaged by the cap I2 just prior to the housing It reaching the limit of its downward stroke and will thus be caused to exert anincreased pressure upon the plunger 33 to complete the expansion of the wall of the cap. As the bottle and housing are now moved relatively away from each other, the rubber ring 1'0 and fingers ll will remain in fixed relation with the cap and bottle, together with the sleeve 21 until said sleeve limit of its downward movement relative to the housing l0. Before the sleeve 2! and fingers H reach their lowermost position, the

plunger 33 will have been maintained against fur- I and moved thereby upwardly relative to the fingers ll so that before the bottle moves' out of conthe fingers H and ring 10 will have moved inwardly'to their normal inoperative position out of engagement with the cap thereby permitting said .cap and bottle to move out of the operative relation with the sleeve 21 ar d ring 10 without frictional resistance from the I ring.

It will be noted that when the spring 60 begins to engage the skirt of the cap, said spring will be more or less distended clrcumfe'rentially,

thereby opening the heiixes thereof so that as these open heiixes engage the skirt of the cap with a rolling motion, the spiral positions of the heiixes will cause a more or less irregular rumpling and over-lapping of the skirt around and upon the bead and neck of the bottle and thereby the skirt or mutilating or marring the surface of the skirt which is sometimes lacquered or other wise treated in different colors to represent .dif-

ferent grades of the contents, such as milk, of

, to be limited to the exact construction shown as effect a more secure attachment of the cap to the bottle without danger of tearing or cracking various changes both in the form and relation of the parts thereof may readily be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.

I claim: 4

1. In an apparatus for'securipg a skirted cap means comprising a coil spring ring for engaging the skirt'of the cap for compressing said skirt around the head of the bottle, rolling elements rotatably supporting said ring during the engagement bottle cap, andmeans for yieldingly urging the rolling elements .into engagement with the coil spring ring,

2. In an apparatus for-securing a skirted cap to the mouth of a bottle, means comprisinga coil spring ring for engaging the skirt of the cap for compressing said skirt around the head of the bottle, means rotatably supporting the coil spring thereof with the bottle cap, and spring means for yieldingly urging the coil spring ring into operative engagement with the cap. y 3. A bottle cap applying mechanism comprising a resilient annulus which is circular in cross section, and means including ,rolling elements movabletoward andirom' a bottle and support ably connected with the annulus for producing 10 relative axial movement 0! the annulus and the bottle with the cap thereon to progressively roll a portion of the cap into tight contact witha contractible and expansible annulus which is circular in cross section and has a; less normal interior diameter than theexterior diameter of the head and neck or the bottle, and means including rolling elements supportably connected with the annulus and'movable therewith during the contraction and expansion thereof for producing relative axial movement of the annulus and a bottle with a cap thereon to progressively roll a portion of the cap axially into tight contact with the bottle. I

6. In an-apparatus for securing a skirted cap to the mouth of a bottle, a contractible and expansible annulus which is circular in cross section and has a less normalinterior diameter than the 40 exterior diameter or the head and neck of the bottle, means for holding the annulus. expanded to an inner diameter about .equal to the exterior diameter of the head of the bottle, and means including rolling elements supportably connected with the annulus and movable therewith during the expansion and contraction thereof for displacing said annulus axially from the holding means and around the skirt of the cap to progressively roll said skirt into tight contact with the head and neck of the bottle.

J 7. In an apparatus for securing a skirted cap to the mouth of a bottle, a contractible and ex-' pansible annulus which is circular in cross section and has a less normal interior diameter than the exterior diameter of the-head and neck of the bottle, means for holding the annulus expanded to an inner diameter about equal to the exterior diameter of the head of the bottle, and means including a plurality of circumierentially. disposed radially movable members and rolling elements carried by said members in supporting engagement with the annulus tor displacing said annulus axially from the holding means and around the skirt oi the cap to progressively roll said skirt into tight contact with the head and neck of the bottle; a 7

8. A device as in claim taining the'elements in engagement with the annulus during the contraction and of said annulus. I

9. A device as in'claim '7 having spring means connected with the members for maintaining'the elements in engagement with the annulus during the contraction and expansion 01 said annulus.

tightly pressing the same into contact head and, neck'oi the bottle. comprising radially I having means con-' nected with the members for yieldingly mainexpansion d 2,os'e,a7a L ring during the engagement thereof with-the 10. In an apparatus for securing a skirted cap to the mouth of a bottle, a contractible and expansible coil spring ring, and means for producing relative axial movement of the coil spring ring and a bottle with a skirted cap thereon to progressively roll the ring over the cap skirt for with the movable members and a pair oi rolling elements carried by each of said members in supporting engagement with spaced portions of the coil spring ring. 11. In an apparatus for securing a skirted cap to the mouth of a bottle, a contractible and expansible coil spring ring, means for producing relative axial movement of the coil spring ring and a bottle with a skirted .cap thereon to progressively roll the ring over the cap skirt for tightly pressing the same into contact with the head and neck of the bottle comprising radially movable members, rolling elements carried by said members in supporting engagement with the coil spring ring, and spring means connected with 1 the members for yieldingly maintaining the 'elements in engagement with the coil spring ring during the contraction and expansion of said ring.

12. An apparatus for securing a skirted cap to the mouth'oi a bottle comprising a coil spring ring having the outer peripheral surfaces of the helixes thereof substantially flat and smooth, and means including rolling elements supportably engaging said outer peripheral surfaces ror progressively rolling the 'coil spring ring over the skirt of the cap topressthe same into tight contact with the head and neck '0! the bottle.

, 13. An apparatus for securing a cup-shaped cap to the mouth 0! a bottle comprising an extensible and contractible annulus adapted to enterthe cup-shaped portion or the cap, a pressure element movable into engagement with the cap I to maintain said cap on the head of the bottle,

and means supported by said element and operable independently of the cap for expanding the annulus radially with progressively decreasing rate oi wall of the cap v wall of the mouth of the bottle.

14. An apparatus for securing a cup-shaped cap to' the-mouth of a bottle comprising an expansible and contractible annulus adapted to enter the cup-shaped portion or the cap, a pressure sleeve movable into engagement with the cap to maintain the same on the bottle, a plurality of radially swinging fingers journaled in said sleeve for supporting the annulus, and means engaging the fingers for expanding the annulus radially with progressively decreasing rate of speed and increasing power to force the peripheral wall of the cap tightly against the peripheral wall or the mouth of the bottle.

15. .An apparatus for securing a skirted cupspeed and increasing power to force the tightly against the peripheral 1 shaped cap'to the mouth or a bottle comprisin a contractible and expansible annulus or less normal interior diameter than the exterior diemeter of the head and neck of the bottle, movable.

holding .means' for releasably maintaining the nulus connected with the holding means to move therewith andadapted to enter-the cup-shaped portion of the cap, means'tor producing relative axial movement holding means and the first mentioned annulus for displacing said annulus axially from said holding means and around the skirt of the cap to progressively roll said skirt into tight contact with the head and neck of the bottle, and separate meansactuated by said relative movement for expanding the second mentioned annulus radially to force the peripheral wall of the cup-shaped portion of the. a

cap tightly against the peripheral wall of the mouth of the bottle.

16. An apparatus for securing a cup-shaped cap to the mouth of a bottle comprising an extensible and contractible annulus adapted to enter the cup-shaped portion of the cap, a pressure element movable into engagement with the cap to maintain said cap on the head of the bottle, annulus supporting means carried by the pressure element for movementtoward and from the center of said-annulus, and actuating means ef- 2i) fective upon said engagement of the pressure elewail of the cap tightly against the peripheral wall of the mouth of the bottle.

1'7. An apparatus for securing a cup-shaped cap to the mouth of a bottle comprising an extensible and contractible annulus adapted to enter the cup-shaped portion of the cap; a pressure element movable into engagement with the cap to maintain said cap on the head of the bottle,-

a plurality of radially swinging fingers carried by the pressure element for supporting the annulus, said fingers having cam surfaces of varying pitch, and means engaging said cam surfaces for expanding the annulus radially with progressively decreasing rate. of speedand increasing power to force the peripheral wallof the cap tightly against the peripheral wall of the mouth of the bottle.

18. .An apparatus for securing a cup-shaped cap to the mouth of a bottle comprising an extensible and contractible annulus adapted to enter the cup-shaped portion of the cap, a pressure element movable into engagement with the outer margin only of cap to maintain said cap on the head of the bottle, a plurality o1 radially swinging fingers carried by the pressure element for supporting the annulus, and means effective upon said engagement of the pressure element with the'cap for producing outward swinging movement of the fingers for expanding the annulus radially.

EDWARD N. TRUMP. 

